Take four women. They're all the same age, the same height and the same weight. But they each wear a different size dress – ranging from a four to a twelve.
Seems odd, right?
But it's not uncommon. That's because weight and height alone don't determine the size of your body. Fat and muscle also count when it comes to your size. And your health as well.
More body fat + less muscle = larger dress size
Less body fat + more muscle = smaller dress size
More fat, especially when it's around your waist, can also put you at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.
How can you add more muscle to your body and eliminate extra fat?
If you just cut calories, you're likely to lose weight. But you'll mainly lose muscle, not fat.
Exercise is the only way to gain muscle and lose fat.
Is dress size the best measurement of body fat? Not really.
A simple bathroom scale measures the main components of your body – bones, muscle and fat. Since bones don't change much as adults, you're mainly getting a measurement of muscle and fat. But there's no way a scale can give you a break down of just how much of each one you're carrying around.
A special kind of scale, called a body fat analyzer, measures body fat. Some give your total weight and percentage of body fat. More expensive models measure the weight of your muscle as well as fat.
If you have access to a body fat analyzer (there may be one at your medical or sports center), it's good to know your percentage of body fat.
Women under the age of 45-50 should try to keep their body fat around 20-25%. As you get older, muscle mass decreases, so 28% fat is reasonable after age 50, and 32% after age 65.
Men, on the other hand, are healthiest with 18-25% body fat for most of their lives.
Weigh yourself periodically. But remember, there's more to healthy weight than the number on your scale.
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